We may earn a commission when you buy through links in our articles. Learn more.

Black Adam will bring a “unique edge” to the DCEU, says Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson has been speaking to Men's Journal about what makes Black Adam different from other DCEU superheroes

Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam

Dwayne Johnson has been speaking to Men’s Journal about the training and physical preparation he’s had to do in order to play Black Adam in the highly anticipated DCEU movie. “I promise you this: The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change.”

Black Adam is a complicated character who is not a traditional hero. As Johnson explains; “Superheroes live by a code of ethics and a line of integrity. But with Black Adam, depending on how you look at him, he has the ability to be a hero, an antihero, and a villain.”

Black Adam’s family is killed when a hostile force invades his homeland of Khandaq and he is forced into slavery; “One of the things that drew me to Black Adam is his origin. He started out enslaved. Any time you have a character, or any human being, who has wrongfully been held down by others, it means so much more when they begin to rise up. Black Adam rises with a big f-ing chip on his shoulder—and an edge.”

Johnson also discussed what makes Black Adam different from other DC heroes, such as his arch-enemy Shazam (played by Zachary Levi); “In the traditional DC Universe, as we all know, if you do something wrong Superman and Batman are gonna try and bring you to justice. If you do something wrong to Black Adam, you’re going to die. It’s that simple. I believe this character is going to bring a unique edge to the superhero genre. We’re gonna be turning preconceived notions on their ear.”

In the fine tradition of Johnson’s wrestling career, he has already begun “smack-talking” the various other DC superheroes, claiming that Black Adam could beat any of them in a fight. While a face off between Black Adam and either Superman or Batman seems unlikely, it is expected that he will face Levi’s Shazam at some point.

While we prepare for Black Adam’s release in the summer, get yourself into The Rock-style training by brushing up with our guide on how to watch the DC movies in order.